Lengthwise adjustable suspension device for articles,particularly sanitation and heating pipes

ABSTRACT

A LENGHTWISE ADJUSTABLE SUSPENSION DEVICE FOR ARTICLES, SUCH AS IN PARTICULAR SANITATION OR PLUMBLING PIPES AND HEATING CONDUITS, WHICH IS OF THE TYPE INCORPORATING A SUSPENSION BAND MEMBER PROVIDED AT ONE END THEREOF WITH AN ATTACHMENT ELEMENT TO WHICH THERE CAN BE SECURED THE ARTICLE WHICH IS TO BE SUSPENDED. THE INVENTION CONTEMPLATES THE PROVISION OF MECHANISM FOR REGULATING THE SUSPENSION LENGTH OF THE ARTICLE SUPPORTED BY THE BAND MEMBER, SUCH MECHANISM EMBODYING A ROTATABLY MOUNTED   ELEMENT ONTO WHICH THERE CAN BE WOUND-UP AND WOUND-OFF ONE END OF THE BAND MEMBER.

June 1972 R. LINSER 3,667,709

LENQTHWISE ADJUSTABLE SUSPENSION DEVICE FOR ARTICLES, PARTICULARLYSANITATION AND HEATING PIPES Filed Sept. 25, 1970 INVENTOR. 64/004;L/Msik United States Patent 3,667,709 LENGTHWISE ADJUSTABLE SUSPENSIONDEVICE FOR ARTICLES, PARTICULARLY SANITATION AND HEATING PIPES RudolfLinser, Renningen, Germany, assignor to Stauzwerke Glarus AG, Buchholz,Switzerland Filed Sept. 25, 1970, Ser. No. 75,323 Int. Cl. F16] 3/14 US.Cl. 248-59 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A lengthwise adjustablesuspension device for articles, such as in particular sanitation orplumbing pipes and heating conduits, which is of the type incorporatinga suspension band member provided at one end thereof with an attachmentelement to which there can be secured the article which is to besuspended. The invention contemplates the provision of mechanism forregulating the suspension length of the article supported by the bandmember, such mechanism embodying a rotatably mounted element onto whichthere can be wound-up and wound-off one end of the band member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention broadly relates toadjustable suspension mechanisms for articles, and, more specifically,relates to a new and improved lengthwise adjustable suspension devicefor members, as especially sanitation or plumbing pipes and heatingconduits or pipes.

There are already known to the art different constructional forms oflengthwise adjustable suspension devices for elements or articles,especially for sanitation pipes and heating pipes, which incorporatemechanism for regulating the suspension length of the suspendedarticles. Yet, these prior art suspension systems all possess thedrawback that adjustment of the length of the suspension mechanism isrelatively cumbersome.

Thus, with known pipe suspension mechanisms utilizing a band member thenecessary suspension length of the articles is measured at the situs oferection, the band is correctly cut and appropriately bored, thensecured to a ceiling or a wall by means of a screw or the like. It isalso known to equip the suspension band with a series of holes or boresfor the purpose of regulating the suspension length.

Furthermore, a suspension device has become known to the art whichutilizes a band member drawn through a slot provided at a suspensionelement of a pipe clamp or strap until there is obtained the desiredlength of the band member, this band member then being clamped againstthe suspension element of the pipe clamp by means of an appropriatelymountable clamping member. The end of the band member which protrudespast and out of the clamping member is flexed back towards the clampingmember externally thereof. The adjustment possibilities afforded by thisconstruction is not only extremely cumbersome, rather among otherthings, also results in the band member being unfavourably stressed orloaded at the sharp bend locations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, a real need exists in the art for asuspension device for articles, such as plumbing or sanitation pipes andheating pipes, which is not associated with the aforementioned drawbacksof the prior art constructions. A primary objective of this invention,therefore, is to provide just such suspension device which effectivelyfulfills this need.

Another, more specific object of the present invention is to provide anew and improved lengthwise adjustable suspension device which allowsfor considerably better and simpler lengthwise adjustability of thesuspended articles.

Still, a further object of the present invention relates to an improvedlengthwise adjustable suspension device for articles, especiallyplumbing and heating pipes or the like, which is relatively simple inconstruction, economical to manufacture, not readily subject tobreakdown, extremely easy to use, and affords rapid and simpleadjustment of the suspended length of the article with a minimum ofeffort.

Yet a further significant object of this invention relates to animproved suspension device for pipes and other articles used in thebuilding industry wherein suspension of the article at a desiredlocation can be undertaken extremely quickly, accurately and reliably,at the place of erection of the article, with minimum effort and withoutrequiring on-site modification of the system.

Another equally significant object of this invention relates to animproved adjustable suspension mechanism for articles, typically pipesand conduits used in plumbing and heating installations, wherein thesuspension height of the article can be quickly adjusted through aninfinite number of positions within the existing capabilities of thesystem and specifically the effective length of the supporting bandmember can be easily varied through the provisions of a simply operatedwind-up mechanism for such band member.

Now, in order to implement these and still further objects of theinvention, which 'will become more readily apparent as the descriptionproceeds, the invention lengthwise adjustable suspension device forarticles, typically for instance sanitation or plumbing pipes andheating pipes, comprises mechanism for adjusting the suspension lengthof the articles which incorporates a band member equipped at one endwith an attachment element for the article, this adjusting mechanismembodying a rotatable element upon which there can be wound-up andwoundoff one end of the band member for the purpose of regulating thelength thereof.

Furthermore, the inventive lengthwise adjustable suspension mechanismaffords during continuous lengthwise adjusta bility thereof thepossibility of simultaneously avoiding the presence of extreme stressesor loads being applied to the band material since the radius ofcurvature thereof during rolling-up of such band material is limited tothe radius of the rotatable element. It is advantageous to construct therotatable element in the form of a bolt member for instance, but,however, such can also be designed as a hose clamp or connection (forinstance in the form of a split pin), as a roller or the like.

According to a preferred constructional form of the invention therotatable element serving to wind up the band member can tension or urgetowards one another the walls of a, for instance, U-shaped or similarsuspension element, the band member being passed between the walls insuch a way that upon tensioning the rotational element between the wallsit is fixedly clamped to additionally secure such against unintentionalchanges in length.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The invention will be better understoodand objects other than those set forth above, will become apparent fromconsideration is given to the following detailed description thereof.Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view, partially in section, of a preferredembodiment of inventive suspension device; and

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the suspension device of FIG. 1,taken substantially along the line II-II thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Describing now thedrawings, the exemplary embodiment of pipe suspension device depicted inthe drawings, has been generally designated by reference character 10,and will be understood to embody a suspension band member 11, formed ofmetal for instance, although it 'could also be formed of a suitablefabric, one end of such suspension band member 11 being designed orconstructed to provide a pipe clamp 12 which can be secured by a metalclip 13 or the like at the suspension band member 11 for undertaking apossible coarse adjustment. The upper windable end 11a of the suspensionband member 11 is introduced through a longitudinal slot 14 of arotatable bolt member 15 serving as a rotatable element. Rotatable boltmember 15 is rotatably mounted in the bearing means 16 and 17 of thewalls 16b and 17b of a substantially U-shaped suspension element 1.8.

Additionally, in order to guide the suspension band member 11 there areprovided guide slot means 19 and 20 at the inwardly flexed leg portions16a and 17a of the bearing walls 16b and 17b. These bearing walls 16band 17b possess a mutual spacing from one another which is slightlygreater than the width of the band member 11. The guide slots 19 and 20preferably are disposed approximately in a plane extending through thecentral axis of the rotational bolt member 15, so that the band member11, as shown, when passing between the guide slots 19, 20 and thecircumference of the rotational bolt member 15 is bent through asubstantially S-shape, thereby counteracting undesired winding-up of theband member under the action of tensional forces.

In the exemplary embodiment illustrated herein, the rotational boltmember 15 is designed as a threaded bolt in such a manner that when anut member 21 is threaded onto the nut-receiving end 22 of the boltmember 15 equipped with threading 22a and extending past the bearing 17,the bearing walls 16b and 17b of the suspension member or element 18 arestressed or biased towards one another. Consequently, the rotationalbolt member 15 is secured against rotation and the suspension bandmember 11 is simultaneously secured against any undesired changes inlength due to the clamping action exerted by the flexed portions 16a and17a of the walls 16b and 17b respectively.

Now, for the purpose of adjusting the length of the suspension bandmember 11 the clamping nut member 21 is loosened and by appropriatelyrotating the rotational bolt member 15 the suspension band member 11 canbe selectively wound-up or wound-01f such bolt member.

A mounting bore 23 provided at a transverse web 24 of the suspensionelement 18 serves to receive an attachment screw, a clamp, or equivalentelement, for the purpose of attaching the suspension system to a wall, aceiling or other appropriate carrier or mounting element, by way ofexample.

If desired, the attachment element for the articles, here shown as apipe attachment clamp or strap 12, can be mounted as a separate elementto the suspension band 11. With the modified version of the inventionunder consideration, it is also possible to arrange the speciallydesigned adjustment mechanism, which in the exemplary embodiment isshown provided at the suspension element 18, at the attachment elementor pipe clamp 12. Finally, as already mentioned above, instead offorming the suspension band member 11 of metal it could also befabricated from a suitable textile material or fabric.

While there is shown and described preferred embodiments of theinvention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is notlimited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied and practicedwithin the scope of the following claims.

Accordingly, what is claimed is:

1. A lengthwise adjustable suspension device for articles, especiallysanitation pipes and heating pipes, comprising means for suspending thearticle which incorporates a suspenson band member and an attachmentelement for securing the article to be suspended, said attachmentelement being provided at the region of one end of said suspension bandmember, and mechanism for regulating the suspension length of thearticles which includes a rotatably mounted element cooperating with anend of said band member onto which said band member can be selectivelywound-up and wound-01f in order to regulate the suspended length of saidband member, a suspension housing element, said rotatably mountedelement being rotatably supported by said suspension housing element,said suspension housing element incorporating oppositely situated wallmembers provided with hearing means for rotatably supporting saidrotatably mounted element, said suspension housing element being furtherprovided with slot means for introducing said band member between saidwall members into the interior of said suspension housing element, meansprovided for said rotatably mounted element for biasing said bearingmeans towards one another and for fixedly clamping in selected positionsaid rotatably mounted element, whereby upon fixedly clamping saidrotatably mounted element in selected position said wall members fixedlyclamp said band member in position to prevent undesired changes inlength of said band member.

2. A lengthwise adjustable suspension device as defined in claim 1,wherein said bearing means define at least an approximately U-shapedcomponent having leg portions engaging about said band member.

3. A lengthwise adjustable suspension device as defined in claim 2,wherein said leg portions of said approximately U-shaped componentdefine inwardly flexed leg portions providing said slot means forguidingly receiving said band member.

4-. A lengthwise adjustable suspension device as defined in claim 3,wherein said slot means and said rotatably mounted element arepositioned relative to one another such that said band member movesthrough a substantially S-shaped are when passing through said slotmeans and when wound upon said rotatably mounted element.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,780,429 2/ 1957 Vanier 248-59FOREIGN PATENTS 1,500,980 8/ 1969 Germany 248-5 9 290,547 5/ 1928 GreatBritain 24-269 OHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Primary Examiner

